My mind races as I crawl out of the van.Did that really just happen?
Leaning forward, I clutch my knees and suck in a chilled gasp of forest air. All my senses are on full alert, energy buzzing through my veins.
And I can’t stop smiling.Evan kissed me!
“Is everything okay?”
I whirl around to find Sage on the patio swing with a book in one hand. His dark brows are knit together.
“Y-yeah. I’m fine.”I think.I might need to pinch myself to make sure this is real.
I take another deep breath before walking to the porch. Sage’s attention darts between me and the van. I quickly run a hand through my hair, hoping it’s not too obvious what we were just doing. But Evan had given me a few good tugs while we kissed, so I’m sure it’s a total mess. I’d fucking loved it too, the way he’d held me. My lips still burn from the intensity.
Sage smirks a little before opening his book again. I’m glad he doesn’t ask questions, since I can barely make sense of it myself.
God. I’ve been dreaming of that moment for years, yet I never actually believed it would come true, or that Evan would rub against me like he had. He was completely turned on…by me!
I hide another smile.Evan wants me. Evan fucking wants me!
Just as I’m about to sit on the opposite swing, the van door opens and Evan stumbles out, still shirtless. “Jericho!”
I jump off the patio and run over to him, every instinct within me screaming to protect him. “What is it?”
His eyes are wide with fright. “Someone broke into my mom’s house while she was at work! Her place is completely trashed. She said they… fuck! I don’t remember.” He rakes a hand through his hair. “She said every room was flipped upside down, like they were looking for something.”
My stomach drops.Or someone.
“Is she still there?”
“Yeah. She hung up when the police arrived.”
“Okay. That’s good, though. It means she’s not alone.”
The color drains from Evan’s face. “You don’t think… no. No! You think it’s Foxx?”
Who else would it be?
“It might not be,” I say, trying to console him. “But you have to admit, the timing is suspicious.”
Evan mutters a curse and clutches his chest. “We need to go to her.”
I shake my head. “We can’t.”
“We have to, Jer! If Foxx—”
“If thisisFoxx, he’ll be expecting us to go to her. It could be a trap.”
“So we do nothing?” Evan says, his face crumpling. “This is my mom, Jericho. You know how much she means to me!” His panic breaks my heart.
“I know. Just… give me a minute to think.”
I feel terrible. We both knew Foxx was going to look into Evan. Why didn’t we expect him to go after Evan’s closest relatives? Hisonlyrelative. Evan probably made it easy for them by putting Evelyn as an emergency contact on his lease.
Why didn’t we warn her? Or ask her to leave until this blows over?
Sage approaches us, back taught. “Is everything okay?”
Evan is too busy texting his mom to reply, so I explain instead. “Evan’s mom’s house was broken into. Turned upside down and inside out from the sounds of it.”
